Slym was visiting Bangkok for a meeting of the Board of Directors of Tata Motors Thailand Ltd, he said.

"Karl joined us in October 2012, and was a valued colleague who was providing strong leadership at a challenging time for the Indian auto industry. In this hour of grief, our thoughts are with Karl's wife and family," he said.

Before joining Tata Motors, Slym was the executive vice president, SGMW Motors, China (a General Motors Joint Venture). Prior to that, he was president, managing director and board member of General Motors in India between 2007-11.

For over two decades, Slym was with Toyota and General Motors in various positions across geographies.